


Light is Good From Whatever Lamp it Shines

by jagnikjen



Category: Weekend (2011)
Genre: Gen, Hope, Long-Distance Friendship, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-05
Updated: 2015-10-05
Packaged: 2018-04-24 23:58:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4938907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jagnikjen/pseuds/jagnikjen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Being so far from home and alone finally gets to Glen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Light is Good From Whatever Lamp it Shines

**Light is Good From Whatever Lamp it Shines**

Glen’s dorm room was dark, all light blocked by the thick, dark curtains covering the window. His arse had gone numb from sitting so long on the cold, hard floor with only the dark blue commercial carpeting for padding. Cool air settled around him like a weight. He could justify turning on the heat, but growing up in England had rendered him tolerant of the lower temperatures. It wasn’t quite as cool as it would be in Nottingham this time of year, and heat was rarely turned on unless the temperatures dropped below fifteen degrees.

His knees were pulled to his chest and his hands gripped his wrists at his ankles. His forehead rested on his knees. Tears had left wet spots on the denim. He didn’t bother to wipe away the moisture. There was no point. His eyes and throat were raw, his chest ached.

Russell had been right. Glen had never been alone. Truly alone.

Now that he’d gotten used to American customs and American slang and American food, once life had settled into attending classes and going to work, he’d found himself mired in a pit of homesickness and loneliness and self-hatred for said homesickness.

He’d made friends, of course, but despite his instantaneous connection with Russell after only two days, it did generally take longer than five weeks to forge close friendships. And he was still an outsider.

Classes were fine, his new American mates were fine…it was just that the chasm between here and home had finally made itself known, made itself felt. And here he was blubbering like a toddler who’d lost sight of his mum at the park.

Packing up and leaving home was supposed to have been easy and freeing, an adventure. He pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes. But, bloody fuck, he missed Jill and her burnt bangers and mash of a Sunday evening. He missed his mum’s weak tepid tea. And he missed Russell’s shy smiles and old, knowing eyes. How could he miss someone this much after two fucking days?

He’d wanted to redraw himself and now here he was staring at an impossibly blank canvas with no idea where to start. Two months ago, he could have blustered his way through. It had all seemed so very clear. Or he’d thought so anyway.

Right now, he was tired and feeling like he was getting sick. It was America’s Thanksgiving the following week, as well as his mum’s birthday, and he was so very fucking far away from home. This was the farthest he’d traveled, the longest he’d stayed gone. Only Russell’s words kept him from packing his bags and crawling home, defeated once again.

_You’ll be great. You’ll have the most amazing time._

But not just his words. The fact that he’d come to say good bye and that after only two days, he had such faith in him.

The sudden glow of his mobile from the not-quite-closed desk drawer caught Glen’s attention. He drew a deep breath, swiped a hand across his face. That was his old mobile—his British mobile. Only one person would be texting him on it and a surge of relief and hope flared in his chest. He crawled across the short expanse, his cramped muscles making complaint, and fished it out of the drawer. A smile pulled at his mouth. _Russell_.

Glen pushed the button to display the message, let the corners of his mouth tip up, and let his desolation ease.

**~Fin~**


End file.
